Tank-car valve and operating mechanism therefor



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. CAMPBELL ET AL Aug. 28, 1923.

Aug. 28, 1923 1,466,116

A. CAMPBELL ET AL TANK CAR VALVE AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed April 6, 1921 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r In Patented Aug. 28, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARGYLE CAMPBELL AND ALBERT E. ZIMMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO ENTERPRISE RAILWAY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPO- RATION OF IELINOIS.

TANK- -CAR VALVE AND OIER-ATING MECHANISM THEREFOR.

Application filed April 6,

'T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARGYLE CAMPBELL and ALBERT E. ZIMMER, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State'of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tank-Car Valves and Operating Mechanism Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tank car valve and operating mechanism therefor.

One object of the invention is to provide an efficient shut ofi' valve mechanism especially adapted for railway tank cars and wherein provision is made for double or duplicated substantially independent seals or closures to thereby insure an effective clo sure for the tank even in the event foreign matter should accidentally lodge on either valve seat. i

Another object of the invention is to ro vide a simple and efficient operating mechanism for a tank car valve in which the mechanism is operated from the usual manhole at the top of the tank, the arrangement being such that the usual manhole cover cannot be placed in proper position unless and until the valve is in its closed position whereby all danger of leaving the discharge valve accidentally open when the car is in transit, is ositively avoided.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

. In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view of portions of a tank car taken in a direction lengthwise thereof, parts being broken away in order to better accommodate the view on the sheet. The dotted lines indicate the positions assumed by certain parts of the operating mechanism when the valve is open. Figure 2 is a vertical, detail, sectional view corresponding substantially to the line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view taken through the dome of the tank and corresponding subcharge valve arrangement.

1921. Serial No. 458,959.

55 of Figure 1. And Figure 6 is a view stantially to the line 3 3 of Figurel. Figcorresponding to Figure 1 illustrating another embodiment of the valve mechanism.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the bottom tank sheet is indicated at 10, the same having an opening 11 therein to accommodate the various parts of the outlet or dis- Secureol to the under or outer side of said tank sheet lO'is an. outlet ipe casting 12 havinga discharge pipe proper 13. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the pipe 13 is adapted to be closed by a reduction union such as shown at 14in Figure 6 and a cap 15 applied to the union, such details not being shown in Figure 1 on account of lack of space. The casting 12 is also preferably annularly grooved as indicated at 16 so .as to provide a weak point there'into allow for fracture in the event the depending discharge pipe engages an obstruction and avoid tearing out the other parts of the valve arrangement. i

On its upper, side, the casting- 12 is suitably cut away as indicated at 17 to receive a double or compound valve seat bushing 18 formed of brass, bronze or other suitable desired material. Said bushing 18 may be held in position. by peening Or any other suitable manner not necessary to describe. As shown, saidbushing 18 is formed near the bottom thereof with a conical valve seat indicated at 19 and above said valve seat with a second separated conical valve seat 20 of larger diameter. Cooperable with the valve seat 19 is a circular sleeve 21 having a conical valve proper 22 at its lower end conformingto the valve seat 19. Cooperable withthe other valve seat 20 is a second sleeve 23 having a conical surface 24 arranged to seat on the valve seat 20.

The sleeve 23 is interiorly threadedat its upper end as indicated at 25 to thereby provide for the threaded attachment of a top cover 26, the latter having an elongated gether as by a pin 29. With the structure described in the foregoing, it is evident that when the valve member 23 is properly seated on the valve seat 20, discharge of the contents is pre*. oted.

The valve member 21 has a closed bottom .as indicated at 30 so that, when it is properly seated on the valve seat 1 9, discharge of the contents is positively prevented. Said sleeve 21 has an upwardly extending annular flange 31 provided at suitable intervals therearound with radially inwardly extended ribs 32 and outwardly extended radial ribs 33. The ribs 32 form centering means for a spring 34 which seats at its lower end against the Wall 30 and at its upper end against the cover or cap 26so that said spring normally tends'to separate the two sleeves 21 and 23 vertically. The outwardly extended radial ribs 33 overhang an inwardly extended annular shoulder 35 on the sleeve .23, the shoulders defined by the ribs 33 being normally separated ,from the shoulder 35 when the two valve members are in operative position.

Secured to the under side of the sleeve 21 and depending vertically therefrom is a guide or centering rod 36 which passes through a suitable perforation in across brace 37 mounted within the casting 12.

The operating rod 28 is extended upwardly within the dome of the tank ear and near the bottom thereof may be guided in a-.

suitable bearing as indicated at 38,- the latter being mounted on a suitable spider or brace 39 secured to thebottom of the tank. Preferably the'bearing 38 will be formed at one' side with a pocket 40 open at its top and within which is vertically slidable more or less loosely a spider-like plunger 41 secured to the rod 28.; .With this arrangement it is evident that the plunger 41 operates in the pocket 40 in the manner of a dashpot so as to prevent undesirable sudden snapping back of the valves into position under the infiuence of the r turnspring 42 mounted on the rod 28' and reacting against the collar 43 thereon and the washer 44 which in turn engages the under side of the upper tank sheet-45. A

Within the dome 46 of the tank car is secured abracket 47, to which is ivotally connected one end of a lever 48, t e latter having a suitable enlarged opening 49 there- .into accommodate, the operating rod 28.

moans 48 o-f the lever EES-as indicated, at 52 is an operating handle 53' normally depending vertically as indicated in Figure 1. Said handle 53 is also of U cross section near its fulcrum as indicated at 5'4 and is adapted to work withinthe section 48 of the lever 48.

One side wall of the handle 53 has a laterally.

extended shoulder as indicated at 54 in F igure 4 adapted to engage under the laterally I enlarged arm 48". a At its outer free end, the handle 53 issuitable formed .witha grip 55 extending substantially at right-angles to the main part of the handle 53 so that, when said handle is raised to thedotted position shown in Figure 1, the portion 55 willnecessarilyproject upwardly through the opening of the manhole casting 56 which is normally closed by the'cover 57.

The normal position of the parts is shown by the full lines in F igure l. \Vhen the operating handle 53 is lifted, it is evident that it will engage with the U-shaped section 48 and continued lifting of the handle 53' will consequently elevate the lever 48 and in turn the operating rod 28. As the lever 48 and handle 53 are moved upwardly, they engagea cam surface 58 on the lower end of a latch 59-suitably pivoted to a bracket 60 as indicated at 61. The pivot 61 is on an axis parallel to the general plane of the lever 48 and handle 53 s0 that, as the latter two are elevated, the latch 59 will be first f swung; to the right as indicated by the arrow as in Figure 4 and then will automatically slip back, under the influence of gravity, to

the position shown in Figure 4 where the lever 48 and handle 53 engage upon and are held' by a horizontal shoulder 62. on said latch 59. With this arrangement the rod 28 is positively held in 'its uppermost position and the valves open as will be understood. As hereinbefore mentioned, when the handle 53is in its uppermost'position, it is necessary that'the manhole c0ver 57 be re moved and vice versa the cover 57 cannot be replaced unless the handle is depressed projected as far downwardly aspossible 4 from the valve member 23 so that the valve proper 22 will normally engage the valve seat 19 in advance of the valve proper 24 engaging its seat 20. Should there be any obstruction on either of the'valve seats 19- or 20, it isevident thatthere is sufiicient yielding play between the two valve members 21 and 23 to accommodate the necessary independent actions and hence a proper closure insured.

Another important feature of the inven tion resides in the following. I

It frequently happens that, in the transportation of certain liquids, a certain amount of water accumulates in the outlet pipe, the water having a higher specific gravity than oil, for instance, and naturally separating from the oil at the bottom of the tank. In cold weather, such water collecting in the outlet pipe, if of sufiicient quantity, may expand to such an extent as to either rupture or unseat valves of ordinary types heretofore employed. With our construction, however,.at is evident that any reasonable amount of expansion of trapped water in the outlet pipe 13 can readily be accommodated by the inner or lower valve member 21 rising vertically within the other valve member 23 without danger of rupturing any of the parts or of unseating the member 23. .As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the capacity of the spring 42 is made suitably greater than that of the spring 34 so as to insure positive return of the two valve members toward closed position.

In the form illustrated in Figure 6, the arrangement of outlet casting, operating rod and two sleeve members is the same as shown in Figure 1. In the arrangement of Figure 6, however, the compensating spring 134 is placed on the underside of the valve member 121. Said spring 134 seats, at its lower end, on a spider which is secured to the lower end of the rod 136, the upper end of said rod being secured to the member 121.

The upper end of the spring 134 engages inwardly projecting lugs -71 located on the inner side of the depending outlet pipe. The spider 70 also acts as a centering guide for the valve member 121. The operation is the same as in connection with the mechanism shown in Figuresl to 5, as will be understood without further detaileddescription.

Although we have herein shown and de scribed what we now consider the preferred manner of carrying out the invention, the

same is merely illustrative and all changes and modifications are contemplated that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank having an outlet opening and two alined valve seats adj acent thereto, one of larger diameter than the other; of a valve cooperable with the larger of said valve seats; a second valve cooperable with the smaller of said valve seats; means for directly lifting said larger valve from its seat; and cooperable means on said larger and smaller valves, normally separated when the two valves are seated, engageable when the larger valve is lifted from its seat to thereby indirectly lift the smaller valve from its seat when the larger which is farthest removed from the centerv of the tank; and means, operablewhen said first named valve is actuated directly, to actuate said second named valve to move-the latter toopen position. Y 3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank having an outlet opening and two valveseats adjacent thereto, one of said valve seats be ing further removed from the interior of the tank than the other; of a valve cooperablewith the valve seat nearest the center of the tank; means for directly actuating said valve to move it to open position; a second valve cooperable with said valve seat which is farthest removed from the center of the tank; means, operable when said first named valve is actuated directly, to actuate said second named valve to move the latter to open position; and means yieldingly interposed between said two valves for retaining the second named valve in its closed position when the first named valve is in its closed position.

4. In an apparatus of the character ,described, the combination with a tank having an outlet opening and two alined valve seats adjacent thereto, one of larger diameter than the other; of a valve cooperable with the larger of said valve seats, said valve being of sleeve-like form with a closed top and provided with inturned shoulders; a second valve cooperablewith the smaller of said valve seats and having out'turned shoulders extending over said first named shoulders and normally spaced therefrom; and means for directly lifting said larger valve from its seat, the smaller valve being indirectly lifted from' its seat by the larger valve.

5. In a tank car having a tank provided with a dome and a removable cover therefor.

ranged to swing upwardly about its pivotal connection with said lever to lift the rod and open the valve; and a latch for holding said handle, lever, and rod in elevated position, said handle having a portion thereof extending :within the cover openingwhen said handle is held bysaid latch.

6. In a tank car having a tank provided with a dome and a removable cover therefor and discharge opening in the bottom: the combination with a valve adapted to close said discharge opening; of a lift rod connected'to said valve and extending into the dome; a lever pivotally mounted within the dome to swing about a horizontally extending axis and having operative engagement ,with said rod; an operating handle pivotally attached to said lever to also swing about a horizontal axis, said operating handle normally depending in an inoperative position, said'handle having shouldered engagement with said lever when elevated whereby-the lever and lift rod will be also elevated; and means for holding said handle and lever in elevated position and with a portion of said handle within the cover opening, whereby the cover is only replaceable when said handle and lever are released.

In witness that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 21st day of NIarc-h. 1921 ARGYLE. CAMPBELL. ALBERT E. ZIMMER. Witness:

UNA C. PERIN. 

